Return mailing envelope



Dec. 11, 1962 A. EISEMANN, JR

RETURN MAILING ENVELOPE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 14, 1961 INVENTOR. ALEXANDER EISEMANN JR.

ATTORNEY HERE FOLD

Dec. 11, 1962 A. EISEMANN, JR

RETURN MAILING ENVELOPE 2 sheets sheet 2 Filed Dec. 14, 1961 INVENTOR. ALEXANDER EISEMANN JR.

ATTORNEY HERE FOLD

H 20mm 52657327 Patented Dec. 11, 1962 hee 3,667,927 RETURN MAILING ENVELUPE Alexander Eisemann, 3n, Westport, Conn, assignor to hen1trol Corporation, Stamford, Conn, a corporation of Delaware 'Filed Dec. 14, 196i, Ser. No. 159,3tl7

' Claims. (l.22973)- This invention relates to return mailing envelopes, and more particularly to such envelopes which may befolded and sealed in either of two different optional directions, providing separate spaces respectively for forward and return addresses, one of. which is exposed and the other concealed when the envelope is folded.

In many commercial activities goods are sent by a customer to a processor and returned to the customer after processing. Heretofore it has been usual for the customer to transmit the goods for processing in a container and, for convenience in returning the goods, to enclose a separate self-addressed return container or label, sometimes bearing postage. The goods are returned in a separate container. Except in situations involving large and expensive containers, no provision is made as far as I am aware for reuse of the original container; Particularly in industries such as the photo finishing industry it has here tofore been customary for'photo finishers to discard the container used to send exposed film to them, and to use a new container to return developed and finished photographs to the customers.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reusable container for small articles, such as undeveloped film and developed pictures. It is another object of the invention to provide a reusable container which will conveniently bear places for two separate addresses and postage, only one of which will be exposed when the container is closed, depending on the choice of the sender. It is another object of the invention to provide such a containerwhich is simple and inexpensive and which will embody in one structure all of the information and postage required to transmit merchandise from a customer to a processor and back to the customer again.

According to the invention in its broader aspects, I provide an envelope for return mailing and the like comprising a rectangular bag-like structure open at the top, a pair of flaps joined one to the top edge of each sideof said structure and extending substantially in registerthere from, clasp means adapted to 'cooper'ate' with said fiaps f or closing said envelope and mounted on one side of said envelope near the bottom edge thereof, a first fold across said envelope mid-way between the top and bottom edges thereof, and a second fold bent oppositely to said first fold across said envelope nearer the top edge thereof.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof. This description refers to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of one side of an envelope according to the invention:

FIG. 2 is a section along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2a is a detail of FIG. 2, shown exaggerated and on an expanded scale;

FIG. 3 is a section along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows the envelope of FIG. 1 partially folded in one direction;

FIG. 4a illustrates schematically the disposition of parts of the envelope when completely folded according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the side of the envelope opposite that which is shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a section along line 66 of FIG. 5; and

PEG. 7 illustrates the envelope folded in the direction opposite that shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the envelope comprises a pair of rectangular panels 10 and 11, made of a flexible sheet-like material such as craft paper. The panels have similar dimensions at the sides 12, 13, the bottom 14 and the top 15 of each, and are disposed with their like'ed'ges in register. The side edges 12 of each panel are joined together with an accordion-pleated insert 15 and the side edges 13 of each panel are similarly joined together with an accordion-pleated insert 17. The bottom edges 14 of each panel are joined with a flap 13 which is an extension of one of the panels and is folded over the other as appears more clearly, for example, in FIG. 2. A clasp 19 on a base 19.5 is fastened as with a suitable glue to the bottom flap 18 near the bottom edges 14. A pair" of closure flaps 2t) and 21 are attached to and extend in register from the top edges 15 of the panels 10 and'll respectively and are provided with holes 20.5 and 21.5, for cooperation with the clasp H in closing the envelope.

A first fold 25, shown exaggerated'in FIG, 2a is pro vided across the envelope, in both panels 10 and 11, run ning completely across the envelope between the'side edges 12 and 13, located approximately mid-way between the bottom and top edges 14 and 15, respectively. A second fold 26 in both panels running completely across theenve; lope parallel to the first fold 25 is bent in the opposite direction from the first fold 2-5 as is shown more clearly FIG. 2a, and is located closer to the topfedge 15 than to the bottom edge 14. A convenient distancebetween these two folds 25 and 26 is approximately one-half inch, in an envelope having a total length of about six inches between the bottom and top edges 14 and 15, respectively. ad} dress region 19.5 is provided on the first panel 10 between the first told 25 and bottom edge 14. A similar address region 11.5 is provided on the second panel 11 between first fold 25 and the bottom edge 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 4n, the envelope may be bent around the first fold 25 to bring the bottom edge 14 and the top edge 15 of the side panels substantially into register with each other, with the clasp 19 disposed on the outer surface of the first panel 10. This will. expose the address portion of the first panel 10 and will conceal the second panel 11 entirely. As is illustrated in FIG, 4athe flaps 2t} and '21, which are represented by a single line in FIG. 451', may then be folded over the bot-tom edge 14, of the envelope, to cooperate with the clasp19 in closing the envelope. In the position shown in FIG. 4a the envelope is bent over the first fold 25, and the second fold 26 is stressed in the direction opposite to the direction in which it is bent.

Referring now to FIG. 7 the envelope is there shown bent around the second fold 26 so that the bottom edge 14 extends beyond the top edge 15 and the flaps 2d and 21 overlie the bottom flap 18 with the holes 20.5 and 21.5 in register with the clasp 19. In this position the first fold 25 is stressed in the direction opposite to its fold direction, and the second panel ll is exposed, exposing its address portion 11.5 while concealing the first panel It).

It is thus clear that the envelope of the invention is a convenient return mailing device in which it is necessary only to reverse the direction in which it is folded and to close it with the original clasp for use for returning goods to a sender.

The foregoing describes an embodiment of the invention, but it is not intended to limit the claims which follow to the details of this specific embodiment.

What is claimed is:

1. An envelope for return mailing and the like comprising a rectangular bag-like structure open at the top, a pair of flaps joined one to the top edge of each side of said structure extending substantially in register therefrom, clasp means adapted to cooperate with said flaps for closing said envelope and mounted on one side of said envelope near the bottom edge thereof, a first fold across said envelope mid-way between the top and bottom edges thereof, and a second fold bent oppositely to said first fold across said envelope nearer the top edge thereof.

2. An envelope for return mailing and the like comprising a rectangular bag-like structure having two parallel fiat sides and open at the top, a pair of flaps joined one to the top edge of each side of said structure and extending substantially in register therefrom, clasp means adapted to cooperate with said flaps for closing said envelope and mounted on one side of said envelope near the bottom edge thereof, a first fold across said flat sides of said envelope mid-way between the top and bottom edges thereof, a second fold bent oppositely to said first fold across said flat sides of said envelope nearer the top edge thereof, first indicia providing a first address panel on one of said sides between said first fold and said bottom edge, and second indicia providing a second address panel on the other of said sides between said first fold and said bottom edge.

3. An envelope for return mailing and the like comprising a pair of rectangular panels of a flexible sheet-like material, said panels having similar side, top and bottom dimensions and being disposed with their like edges in register, means joining said panels at the respective side and bottom edges of each panel, a pair of flaps joined one to the top edge of each panel and extending substantially in register therefrom, clasp means adapted to cooperate with said flaps for closing said envelope and mounted on one of said panels near the bottom edge thereof, a first fold in said envelope crossing said panels between the respective side edges thereof and disposed approximately midway between the top and bottom edges thereof, and directed so that said envelope may be folded to bring the top and bottom edges substantially into register with each other and said flaps may be bent over said bottom edges to cooperate with said clasp means, and a second fold in said envelope crossing said panels parallel to the first fold but further removed toward said top edges and bent oppositely to said first fold so that said envelope may be folded over said second fold to bring said flaps directly into position to cooperate with said clasp means.

4. An envelope for return mailing and the like comprising a pair of rectangular panels of a flexible sheet-like material, said panels having similar side, top and bottom dimensions and being disposed with their like edges in register, means joining said panels at the respective side and bottom edges of each panel, a pair of flaps joined one Cir to the top edge of each panel and extending substantially in register therefrom, clasp means adapted to cooperate with said flaps for closing said envelope and mounted on one of said panels near the bottom edge thereof, a first fold in said envelope crossing said panels between the respective side edges thereof and disposed approximately midway between the top and bottom edges thereof, and directed so that said envelope may be folded to bring the top and bottom edges substantially into register with each other and said flaps may be bent over said bottom edges to cooperate with said clasp means, a second fold in said envelope crossing said panels parallel to the first fold but further removed toward said top edges and bent oppositely to said first fold so that said envelope may be folded over said second fold to bring said flaps directly into position to cooperate with said clasp means, first indicia providing a first address panel on one of said panels between said first fold and said bottom edges, and second indicia providing a second address panel on the other of said panels between said first fold and said bottom edges.

5. An envelope for return mailing and the like comprising a pair of rectangular panels of flexible sheet-like material, said panels having similar side, top and bottom dimensions and being disposed with their like edges in register, expandable means joining said panels at the respective side edges of each panel, means joining said panels at their respective bottom edges, a pair of flaps joined one to the top edge of each panel and extending substantially in register therefrom, clasp means adapted to cooperate with said flaps for closing said envelope and mounted on one of said panels near the bottom edge thereof, a first fold in said envelope crossing said panels between the respective side edges thereof and disposed approximately midway between the top and bottom edges thereof, and directed so that said envelope may be folded to bring the top and bottom edges substantially into register with each other and said flaps may be bent over said bottom edges to cooperate with said clasp means, and a second fold in said envelope crossing said panels parallel to the first fold but further removed toward said top edges and bent oppositely to said first fold so that said envelope may be folded over said second fold to bring said flaps directly into position to cooperate with said clasp means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS may 

